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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 6:27 p.m., Thursday, February 26, 2009

UH uses strong pitching to beat Minnesota, 6-2

Advertiser Staff

Jayson Kramer pitched a strong 5 2/3 innings and Sam Spangler added 3 1/3 scoreless innings of relief to help Hawai'i knock off Minnesota, 6-2, today at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.

Kramer (1-1) allowed two runs, niine hits and two walks with one strikeout for UH (2-3). Spangler struck out five for his first save.

Tim Ryan (0-1) gave up three runs and five hits with three strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings for the Golden Gophers (2-2).

The Gophers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Matt Nohelty led off with a single, stole second and scored on Michael Kvasnicka's single.

But the Rainbows took the lead in the third. With two outs, Dustin Kalbunde walked Ryan Morford, Kolten Wong and Greg Garcia in succession to load the bases to set up Vinnie Catricala's two-run single to put UH ahead, 2-1.

Minnesota tied it in the fourth. A.J. Pettersen singled to first and stole second before Kyle Geason walked. Brooks Albrecht reached on a fielder's choice grounder to second for a force at second, putting runners at the corners. Nohelty's single to right scored Pettersen to tie the game at 2.

Hawai'i regained the lead in the sixth against reliever Tim Ryan. Catricala reached on a single to third and took third on Jeff Van Doornum's double to right-center. Kevin Macdonald's single to right put UH ahead, 3-2, with runners at the corners. Christian Johnson's RBI single to right put runners at first and second and made UH's lead, 4-2. After Landon Hernandez struck out, Ryan was pulled for Austin Lubinsky. Sean Montplaisir doubled to right-center to score Macdonald, but Johnson was gunned down at the plate with the score, 5-2 before Ryan Morford popped out to third to end the inning.

The Rainbows increased their lead in the seventh against Lubinsky. Wong led off with a double to right, took third when Garcia grounded out to first and scored when he beat the return throw to home after Catricala was thrown out at first on a dribbler in front of the catcher to make it 6-2.